Investigating Themes in Of Mice and Men

Choose one of the following questions that interests you most to respond to in this week’s blog post:

1.)  What different forms of power exist in Of Mice and Men?  What kind of power does Lennie have?  What kind of power does George have?  What kinds of power or powerlessness do other characters possess? 

2.)  What kind of relationship do George and Lennie have?  Is their relationship a friendship?  How does this relationship express Steinbeck’s position on the individual versus the community?

3.)  Is the American Dream a real possibility in the story?  If yes, what characters, symbols, events, or other details from the story confirm that the American Dream is within reach?  If not, what characters, symbols, events, or other details from the story represent the American Dream as out of reach? 

Check out the info History.com has to offer about the American 1930s!  Who had power in the 1930s?  Who did not?  What kinds of power existed then?  What important relationships were formed in the 1930s?  Was the American Dream still alive in the 1930s?

2.         The relationship between George and Lennie is very complicated. Lennie looks up to George and wants to do everything in his power so that he does things right to please George and not have him yell at Lennie. Lennie wants to remember and obey everything George has taught him. Lennie likes to imitate George and wants to do everything he does. Lennie learned everything he knows from George because after his Aunt Clara died George took him in.

George takes care of Lennie but finds him to be a burden and feels like Lennie holds him back. But George wouldn’t be himself without Lennie, he feels more powerful and smart when he’s around Lennie. George has said it himself in chapter one that he wants Lennie around. No matter how much Lennie annoys him and does stupid things George still cares about him and wouldn’t want to be without him. George may talk rudely to him and get aggravated at times but he means well. He just wants to give Lennie a sense of stability and give him a chance to grow into his own person while he is still guides him through simple tasks.

Being that they have to be together and work with each other in everything they do, Steinbeck shows that in the 1930’s it was still lonely even when they had someone there. A person was on their own once they were in trouble but George didn’t let that happen for Lennie. He always stuck by Lennie no matter what the situation was.

Best friends always stick together